Not Like Last Time
by Hart1
Summary: One of Martie's friends disappears, and another reappears... {NOT FINISHED}
1. Flashes of Red

PROLOGUE, from "The Rooftop":  
  
Skittery shook his head. "We'se just lookin' for Anita. You seen her?"  
All around the table were shaking heads and blank stares.  
Sock took off her hat and rubbed her forehead. "I ain't seen her since this mornin'. Oh. No -- wait. I didn't see her this mornin'. The last time I saw her was yesterday, near 3 o'clock."  
"You think she's OK?" Race asked.  
"Sure. Sure, I mean, remember that one time she was missing for 4 days, then all a sudden she comes into the bunkroom, all like nothin' ever happened? This is prally jes' like last time..."  
  
  
}}i{{  
Not Like Last Time.  
}}i{{  
  
The Lodging House was hot, hotter than a stray dog on Fry Street in August. Kloppman had agreed to let the newsies leave all the doors open so that the air could circulate and hopefully cool down a little. Many of the newsies shifted uncomfortably in their sleep. The muggy air was heavy, and hard to breathe. Near the door that connected the girl's bunkroom to the boy's, on the bottom bunk, Martie frowned. She was dreaming, and her face seemed concerned. Her head whipped over to the other side, and her body followed. She began muttering, things like, "No, please no... don't.... no, don't... please, you can't..." She slammed onto her back, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "No, no, no!!" Her hands flew to her head as she jerked up. She sat there, sobbing silently, gasping for breath. Martie rocked back and forth, cradling her head. She calmed down some and lay on her bed, wide awake, still crying softly.  
"Martie?"  
She jumped at the voice. Itey kneeled beside her bed, a worried look on his face. Martie closed her eyes and exhaled. She was glad it was Itey. Since she had come to Manhattan 2 years ago, Itey had become as close as a brother. He knew more about her than anyone else did, including herself. They often slept together, side by side, drinking in the comfortableness that family provides. Luckily, Goosey and Oscar understood the strange relationship.  
Itey lay down next to her on the bed, and asked, "What happened? I heard talkin', an' I thought it was Goosey... but den I realized that it was comin' from below her. I got down here, and that's when you woke up. Are you OK?"  
"I... yeah. Ah, no... it... it was a nightmare..." Martie shut her eyes again and rubbed her face. "There was all dese people dere... jes shadows, or feelin's, like when you can't see a person, but you know dat they're dere, you can jes feel it. An' it was really pitch black, but every now an' there, a flash of red, like blood... an' then I could hear someone sobbin', and beggin' these...shadows...to stop hurtin' 'em. And then they screamed in pain, cuz they was bein' hurt so bad... An' I was beggin' 'em, too, cuz dis person, whoever dey was, was somebody I really loved, an' cared for... an' I couldn't do nothin' to help 'em... an' then there was jes' silence... an' I knew dey was comin' for me... an' I screamed an' tried to run, but I couldn't move, an' then I woke up... I was so terrified." Martie started to shake again.   
Itey hugged her and tried to calm her down. "Whaddaya think it means?"  
"Well, you know how, the pas' few days, Snoddy's been feelin' real sick, an' I ain' been sleepin' too good? Well, nobody remembers seein' Anita in the pas' few days... ah, I dunno. I'm just so scared, an' I don't even know why... I mean, it was just a dream, right?"   
"Yeah, it was jes' a dream..." Itey reassured Martie, but in his heart, he wasn't as sure as he sounded.  
  
}}i{{  
Martie looked into the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot, her skin was pasty, and her bottom lip was cracked and bloody.  
"Jeez, you look terrible!" Tini giggled as she came up to the sink.   
"Hey, shaddup, I had a rough night..." Martie knew that Tini was right, but didn't need anyone reminding her of it. She sighed and jammed her hat over her knotted hair.  
She jumped out of the Lodging House with the other newsies. As usual, a few of them yelled greetings and jokes. Nothing seemed to be wrong, but her stomach felt uneasy, and it wasn't because she was hungry. Without meaning to, Martie fell behind the group. Snoddy came up next to her, walking with about the same attitude.   
Martie turned to him and said, "Snoddy, las' night, I had a dream. I don' know what it means, but I t'ought dat maybe I should tell you..."  
When she was done, Snoddy looked at her and said, "Well, I suppose that I know what you think it means, and I'm quite tempted to think the same... I just hope that we're both wrong..."  



	2. Two-Faced

  
"Strike!" Skittery walked over to Hart. "I believe dat puts me in the lead..."  
Hart laughed. "By 2 points, yeah." She handed him the slate and piece of chalk. The pin boys scrambled at the end of the room to put the pins back in place. A small one ran over and handed her the ball. He didn't look more than 6, and struggled under the weight. "Thank you, Bay." She ruffled his hair. The little boy 's round face became flushed under his freckles and he ran back.  
Hart waited until the boys were out of the way, then launched the ball. It looked like it was going to hit the gutter, but it curved and knocked down 7 pins. "How do ya like dat?" Hart swaggered over to Skittery and wrapped her arms around his neck. He leaned down to kiss her, when the door slammed open behind them.   
The boy at the door was tall and lean, but still strong-looking. He had blond hair, dark blue eyes, and a small smile on his face. "Do either of you know Martie O'Graidy?" His voice was smooth, without a hint of the New York accent that was so familiar to the newsies.  
Skittery sighed. "Nice timin' Yeah we know her. You lookin' ta hurt her?'  
"No! No, I wouldn't ever hurt her, believe me. You have my word on that. Do you know where I could find her?" The boy looked from Skittery to Hart, and back.   
"How do we know we can trust you?"  
"I have news for her. About Anita."  
  
}}i{{  
  
Martie sighed and headed back to the center. She had bought too many papes that morning and now was left with 11 that no one would buy. Luckily, when the price was returned to 50 cents a hundred, the newsies also got the opportunity to turn in any papers they couldn't sell for a full refund.  
Having leftover papers wasn't out of the ordinary; it happened more than she'd like to admit. But added onto her best friend disappearing and the ongoing nightmares, it was almost enough to push Martie over the edge. She frowned and kicked at a small stone. If life threw her anything else...  
"Martie."  
She stopped walking. She knew that voice better than she knew her own. She had yearned to hear it for such a long time, but now she refused to let her heart believe what her ears were telling her.  
Slowly, she turned around. Her mouth fell open and tears began to flood her eyes. Her throat tightened so she could barely whisper, "...Ben?"  
He walked over to her silently. After a moment, he cleared his throat and said, "I know this is going to take a long time to explain. And I will explain it, but first... I have something to tell you. About Anita..."  
Martie's knees buckled, and Ben reached out so she wouldn't fall to the pavement. She put her arms around his neck while her legs stopped shaking. It had been so long since she had seen him. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye... Then, without warning, her mind was flooded with red signals.   
Oscar.  
Over the last 5 months, Martie had grown to love him. But she had loved Ben before that...  
"Where could we go? To talk?" Ben seemed to be in a hurry to tell her about her friend.  
"We could go to Central Park..."  
"OK." Ben flashed his melting smile, and Martie took his hand as they walked to the park.  
  
}}i{{  
  
Oscar ducked into the alley. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. His girl. With another guy. He started to feel desperately sad, until he realized what the guy looked like.   
Tall. Short blond hair, blue eyes. It's that guy, from Maryland! Da one what just disappeared 2 years ago... What's his name again? Ben. That's it, Ben.  
Then Oscar began to feel mad. Angry at that jerk for thinking that he could disappear, then show up again and expect Martie to just take him back. Furious that she had taken him back. Enraged at himself for being such a fool, for actually thinking...  
And then sad again. 


	3. Views

The sunlight filtered down through the leaves, and played softly on the   
grass. The park was so serene and calm, compared to the busy chaos of   
inner city life.  
Martie looked at Ben. He looked the same, yes, but also older. He looked  
strong and very mature; the boyish good looks of years past had sharpened,   
and now his face was an adult's. She didn't stop to think that he might be   
thinking the same thing about her.  
"So," Martie sat on the grass next to Ben. "Where have you been these last  
2 years?"  
"Around. But, for the last couple of months, I've been in the Battery. Anyway,  
one day, this guy comes running into the lodging house, and he tells us his  
story.  
"He had been in Manhattan, and was talking to this British girl,  
Anita. She was telling him about how she sold papes with her new  
friends. She mentioned you... Anyways, he leaves, but later he sees this  
group of guys and girls beat her unconscious, and they take her away. He  
followed them all the way to the Battery, but he wasn't looking where he  
was going and ran into a barrel laying on the ground. So he got up and saw  
our lodging house and came in. I know there aren't many details, but he  
didn't give us too many."  
Martie asked, "Where is he now? Still up in the Battery?"  
Ben nodded. "Man, I really missed you, Martie. I don't know when, but  
eventually I'll tell you what happened 2 years ago... But not now. I still  
can't get over you. You look so... grown up."  
"Yeah," Martie didn't know how to take that comment, so she just   
continued,"Uh... could we go soon? I got a bad feelin' about Anita, an' I   
wanna find her as soon as we can." Martie stood up and brushed the grass   
off of her clothes.  
Ben joined her. "Yeah, let's go back, get T, and start checking around the   
city."  
"'T'?"  
"That's the guy who saw Anita."  
"Oh. Let's go over to Brooklyn first. Spot'll be glad to help."  
Ben pulled Martie's cap down over her eyes. "Alrighty then, let's go!"  
  
  
}}i{{  
  
  
"Aaargh!!!!" Oscar attacked his makeshift punching bag. He punched and  
jabbed until the poor fur-stuffed sack hurtled to the ground. Oscar gave it  
one final kick, then sat beside it. Sweat dripped from his neck and  
glistened on his stomach. It was hot as an angry bull in the city, and his  
fits of rage didn't cool him off at all. His face was red, and he was out  
of breath, but not out of anger. He couldn't figure it out. Why would  
Martie ditch him like this? The last 7 months had been like a  
dream. Martie really did bring out the best in him. She had taught him  
how to trust, and told him that he could believe in them, and then... The  
perfect dream was turning into a nightmare.  
  
  
}}i{{  
  
  
Somewhere in upstate New York, 2 girls stood silently. They glared at a  
third girl who sat tied to an old chair. She was unconscious.  
The first girl asked, "Why can't we just kill her now? Don't make no  
sense to wait."  
The second girl smacked the first in the back of the head. "I know you  
ain't questionin' Avi! He the smartest person this side of Harvard  
College! He'll be back in a few days..."  
"Then we can kill her?"  
"Yes. Then we can kill her..."  
  



	4. Avi's Story

  
  
  
Martie and Ben jumped off of the trolley. It kept moving, unaware that it   
had just lost two non-paying customers. In front of them was a nice house,   
converted into a lodging house.  
"Welcome to the Battery." Ben opened the door and Martie stepped   
inside. There were two girls sitting on the steps, smoking. One of them   
stood up and walked over. Ben said, "Heya Blaze."  
"Hey, Ben." Blaze turned around. "Sling! Get over here, you're bein'   
rude!" She tucked a piece of her long blond hair behind her ear. The   
other girl slowly walked over.  
Sling peered at Martie. She had steely gray eyes that were very   
authoritative. "Who's dis?"  
Ben laughed and said, "You are being rude today, aren't you? This is   
Martie. She's here to talk to T."  
"Oh!" Slingshot smiled, and her entire expression changed. "Sorry, I   
t'ought you was somebody else!"  
Blaze started up the stairs. "I'se pretty sure dat he's up here, wit' Smalls."  
Martie followed Ben up to the attic, where several newsies were sitting   
around and talking. In the far left corner, a small girl was telling a   
joke. The boy next to her laughed at her antics. He was very pale, almost   
ghostly. His hair was close to white and thin. He looked up at the new   
arrivals, and Martie was surprised to see that his eyes were jet   
black. His gaze locked onto her, and he jumped to his feet. "Are you Martie?"  
She nodded and Ben led her over. The boy, T she assumed, was not much   
taller than she was, but something about the way he held himself, his   
posture, made him seem like he was.  
"Sit down. I have a long story." He smiled, and Martie decided that she   
trusted him. She sat, as did Ben, Slingshot, Blaze and Smalls.  
T cleared his throat and began.  
  
  
"I'm not from around here. I'm actually from Kenmore, up near Niagara   
Falls. I was down here in Manhattan looking for a friend. I didn't find   
him when I was supposed to meet him, but I did meet this really cool girl,   
Anita. We started talking, and she was telling me about these great   
Americans she had met when she came here, to America. After a while, I   
realized that I needed to leave and get a few hours travel in. See,   
Kenmore is about 40 hours from Manhattan, if you don't walk the whole way...  
"So, I left the restaurant where we had been talking and I thought I saw   
my friend. I went over to get him, but I was wrong, it wasn't him at   
all. So, I turned around, hoped nobody saw that, and started walking. All   
a sudden, I heard somebody scream, and I looked into the alleyway I had   
just passed. Anita was there, but she was unconscious. There were about 4   
girls standing over her, and one guy. They looked tough, and one girl had a   
mean-looking knife on her belt. I knew that I couldn't take them by   
myself, so I followed them. Up through the Bronx, and past Chester. Then   
we hit the Battery, and I hit a barrel. It was dark, OK? So I ran in   
here. The only name i could remember her saying was Martie, so I asked.  
"Ben here stepped forward and said, 'I knew one, once. I don't know if   
it's the same girl, or if she's still there, but I knew a Martie O'Graidy   
in Manhattan 2 years ago.'  
"Of course, we had to take the chance, and luckily, Ben was right. So,   
now we gotta make a plan."  
  
Martie nodded and exhaled. She was so tired... Ben knew her better than   
she thought and he could almost hear what she was thinking. "Do you need   
some time before we go?"  
"Uh, yeah. Yeah, that'd be good."  
Small stood up and said, "You can use my bunk if you wanna lay down."  
"Oh, t'anks, but dat's a'right..."  
"Hey, I don' take 'no' for an answer. Come one!" Smalls jumped down the   
stairs into the girl's bunkroom, her thick hair flying out behind her.  
Martie turned to Ben. "C'mon. You got a lot of explainin' to do, and not   
much time to do it..." 


	5. Wishing Injuries

Martie lay on her stomach and looked at Ben. He looked back without saying a word. Martie hit the pillow. "Well? D'ya mind tellin' me what happened two years ago? When you jest up an' disappeared?"  
"Oh, yeah, well, I disappeared July 5th right?" Ben leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.   
"Yeah."  
"Well, what happened the day before that?"  
"It was the 4th of July. An' dere was dat rally on Liberty Island wit' the fireworks. An' you sung da national anthem, an'--"  
"Right, I sang the national Anthem. Well, the next day, this big fat guy in a pinstriped suit, comes up to me and asks me if I'd do a show on Broadway. He had this cigar, right in my face, and a smile like a Cheshire cat. He had heard me sing and said that I was real good. So of course, I said yes, and right away, he whisked me off to the theater. They kept me real busy for the next six or seven days, practicing from six in the morning to ten at night.  
"My first piece of trouble that I should've recognized was when Mr. Leitch showed me the program. Instead of Ben Thompson, he had me credited as Willie Donaldson. I asked him about it and he stammered about how nobody in show business used their real name. I was too starry-eyed to see that he was lying.  
"Then, on August 18th, during the night, they drugged me and loaded me into a carriage to go to the East Coast, back to Maryland. You see, Mr. Leitch had forgotten to tell me one thing; the show wasn't opening on Broadway.  
"It was opening at the Opera House in Washington, D.C.  
"When I came out of my drugged stupor at noon the next day, I told him that I was going back to Manhattan, that this whole thing was all a mistake. He laughed and told me that the contract I had signed was for two years. If I tried to escape, I would be caught and sent to a jail much worse that Snyder's Refuge. Same if I didn't act better than I ever had on that stage.  
"What else could I do? I sang and danced as hard as I could. Sore throats and twisted ankles plagued me. The show was never a hit; tickets sold for $1.50 and we only got 2 sentences in the Maryland Gazette. Mr. Leitch had planned on $10 tickets and rave reviews. Served the jerk right.  
"So, the two years finally ended. I tipped my hat at the other cast members and wished them many injuries. See, to them, 'good luck' is bad luck, and 'break a leg' is good. To Mr. Leitch went a sneer and wishes for real injuries as I took my pay. 150 dollars. It seemed like a lot until I realized that it was for two years. Two years!!   
"I bought myself some new clothes and shoes, some food, and a ticket to Grand Central Station.  
"I got here with $75. I put 72 of it into a bank, thinking it was a good investment. The bank was robbed that same day.   
"I straggled into the Battery lodging house, very clean and full, but only 3 bucks to show for it. That's good for a newsie, but I didn't want to do that anymore. I wanted to buy a house, get a real job. Instead, I was back where I started, only this time, I was 2 years poorer and without anyone to love me.  
"That was a month ago."  
"And you couldn't find five minutes out ta send somebody wit' a message?" Martie looked at him, a mix of confusion, sadness, anger and betrayal dancing over her eyes.  
"They wouldn't let me!! I could barely sign an autograph without getting fined."  
"Hey, uh, we better get going." T stood in the doorway. He waited until Martie and Ben were in front of him before he said, "Where we gonna go first?"  
"Brooklyn." Martie grinned at the shocked look on T's face. "What, are ya scared?"  
"Well, ain't Spot Conlon in Brooklyn?"  
She nodded.  
"Ah, I just heard that he was real tough, 's all..."  
Martie and Ben laughed as they walked out the door.  



	6. Brooklyn

3 girls sat with their legs hanging off the docks. They were talking and occasionally erupted with laughter.  
A pale girl with long black hair laughed, "And then I said to him, 'Listen, Conlon, if you don't shut up, I'm gonna break you in more places than you can count!' "  
The short girl beside her elbowed the first and piped, "Hey Luna, how many's dat? Two?"  
The last girl yelped. "Why are you talkin' about my guy like dat?" She promptly pushed her friend off the dock.   
Luna jumped up. "Relic! Youse gotta stop doin' dat!"  
The short girl popped to the surface and squirted the water out of her mouth. She climbed out as she said, "Man, are you lucky it's hot out here..."  
Relic fell over laughing at the sight. "Buttercup! You look like a drowned rat! And youse got some wet grass on your hair."  
Buttercup patted the top of her head. "My hat!" She dove back into the murky water after her beloved cap.  
Spot walked up with Queenie, Martie, Ben, and T behind him. "Heya, girls. Hi, muffin."  
"Heya, Spot." Relic grinned at him.  
"So, ah, any of youse girls heard..." Spot stopped short as Buttercup climbed back onto the dock with her black hat clamped between her teeth. "Relic! You really gotta stop doin' dat!"   
The girls giggled again. Martie sighed, and T cleared his throat. Ben rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. They were all tired, and completely drained of energy.   
Queenie pushed Spot aside and said, "Heard anything about dat girl Anita? Da British one?"  
Luna shrugged and pushed her hair out of her face. "Just dat she's missin'. Why?"  
T pulled off his bowler. " 'Cause we think she's been kidnapped and could be in a lot of trouble."  
Spot pulled on his suspenders and announced, "We can't help you right now, but if it comes to a fight, we'se got your backs."  
Suddenly a voice called out, "There you are! I want my slingshot back, now!" Voodoo ran at Buttercup, her red hair flying. She tackled the shorter girl and they both went flying into the bay.  
Buttercup gasped for air. "I give up!"  
Martie, Ben and T walked away. "Where now?" Martie stared at the ground in front of her feet as if looking away would cause her to stumble. The question wasn't directed to either boy, specifically, and there was a moment of silence, save their footsteps on the street.   
"Well," Ben's stomach grumbled. "Let's go get something to eat, then go over to Harlem. I happen to know that there's a show tonight. A lot of newsies are supposed to be going."  
T nodded. "Oh yeah, the 1900 revue! I heard it's supposed to be real good."  
"Well, lets go to Tibby's. The last thing the guys need is for two of us to disappear!"  



	7. Permission

When the three arrived at Tibby's, they were greeted first by familiar   
"hello"s to Martie, then astonishment at Ben's return, and finally   
interrogation about T.   
Jack laughed and swigged his beer. "Ben, I can't believe you're back."   
"Yeah, well, neither can I." Ben looked at the newsies. They, like himself, had grown over the years. They showed it in their faces and their statures. Snipeshooter was showing a little peach fuzz, and Race had actually grown an inch.   
Itey ran his hands through his curly black hair. "I wish I   
could go with you to get Anita. You know I'd fight beside you, but..."   
"Yeah, I know." Itey had been stabbed in the side during a brawl with an East Side gang. Martie grinned. "You can come with us tomorrow, though. We're goin' to Midtown, to talk with Goosey."   
"Oh yeah!" Itey laughed, then winced. "Ow..."   
Snoddy spoke up. "I don't mean to be rude in any way, but I'm rather anxious on the part of my sister..."   
"Oh, right. We'd better go..." T stood up. "Is it alright if we come back here tonight? After we've gone ta Harlem?"   
"Well," Race said, "Kloppy don't like people comin' in too late, but I t'ink I can get him ta go easy on ya, undah da circumstances."   
"Thanks, Race!" Martie grinned and danced out the door. 


	8. New Chances, Lost Hope

"And now, the show you've all been waiting for, the 1900 revue!"  
Martie, Ben and T arrived just as the show was starting. It was a fantastic show, and the turnout was enormous. The girls on stage grinned and laughed as they danced and performed for the enthusiastic crowd.   
When it was over, a large group of newsies gathered at the stage. One showgirl came down and was greeted by them. She was very pretty as she smiled and hugged her friends. Only 3 newsgirls weren't taken by her charm.   
Martie knew them; they came to Manhattan often to visit Dave and the other guys. Kaa, Davey's girlfriend, saw Martie and spit in her hand. Martie did the same and they shook.   
"So, Kaa," Martie pointed at the beaming showgirl, "who's dat?"  
Rook, a shorter girl who had been eyeing Ben and T warily, scoffed, "Dat's Annie. As you can see, most people like her, but--"  
"She talks too much." The third girl, Ember, piped up. "She's always spreadin' some rumor or another."  
"Oh?" T cocked his eyebrow. "What's she saying this time?"  
Rook scowled. "Why should we tell you?"  
Kaa stopped her. "Rook! Chill out. Well, she's somehow decided that there's dis gang, the Kappers, and dat about 4 years ago, some girl killed one of their gang members, Mello. So, she says dey found dis girl in Manhattan, and now they're gonna kill her."  
"What?" Ben almost yelled. "When?"  
Ember shrugged. "We dunno. Apparently, dey's waitin' for someone to show up 'fore dey do it, but we don't know who."  
"An' we don't know where." Rook mumbled.  
"Well," Martie looked at the clock on the wall. "It's gettin' late. I suppose we'd better leave."  
"Hey Martie." Rook grabbed her arm. "You know how I feel about guys. If it comes around to a fight, I'll be there."  
  
}}i{{  
  
It was 1 o'clock when they finally got back to the lodging house.  
They tiptoed upstairs, and they all went into the rooms. They were asleep before 5 minutes had been lost to time.  
Martie dreamt again, like so many nights before. BUt when she woke from this dream, instead of feeling terrified, Martie felt lost and betrayed. SHe couldn't explain it; she couldn't even remember what the dream had been about. She only knew taht any feeling of hope she had had was gone.  
  
}}i{{  
  
In the morning, Martie joined Ben, T, and Itey in front of the lodging house. Nobody said anything; they had all had a terrible night.   
When they arrived in Midtown around 10 o'clock, the first one to see them was Goosey, Itey's girl. Like Itey, she had curly hair and was on the short side. "Hey Itey."   
Itey grinned and kissed her. T rolled his eyes at the couple; apparently he wasn't much of a romantic.  
WHen they finally pulled apart, T jumped into his question as though he was afraid that they would start again. "Do you know anything about what's been happening lately with a gang called the Kappers?"  
Goosey's jaw dropped open. "Yes, well, no, not me. But I heard Rio and Lightning talking about it yesterday. Ah, come here."  
They walked into the hulking building and into a side room. A fan was being powered by some strange contraption that was hooked up to... a potato? Martie and Ben exchanged puzzled looks.  
"Ya like dat?" Lightning was standing near it. "Melissa rigged it up. She may be young, but she's got a good brain."  
"Goosey asked, "Where's Rio? We need to talk about the Kappers."  
Rio stepped into the room. "What do you need ta know? Dey's up ta somethin', and we'd be glad to help you stop 'em." She peered up at Ben. She was skinny and small and only came about 5 inches above his elbow.  
T explained, "Well, we think that they've got a girl named Anita--"  
Goosey's eyebrows shot up. "Anita? That girl wouldn't hurt anybody!"  
"Yeah we know." Matie sighed. "That's why we'se gotta move fast. She ain't much of a fighter."  
Lightning fiddled with her hair. "They'se up in Buffalo. But dat's 3 days away, even if you can ride some of the way."  
"And if you can't?"  
"Better make it 5 and a half days."  
"Well," Ben offered, "at least we know where they are."  
Rio cleared her throat. "Ah, Buffalo's a big place, shorty."  
T nodded. "It's enormous, a lot bigger than Manhattan. I don' know how we're gonna find them."  
Goosey gasped and everyone spun around to look at her. "I just remembered something... well, someone. C'mon, we're goin' to Queens."  
  
}}i{{ 


	9. Gypsy

"So, why'd ya kill her?"  
"Kill who? I've never killed anyone!"  
"Right, right. Nice accent ya got worked up there, Gypsy."  
"Gyp-- my name is not Gypsy! It's Anita, and I've had this accent my whole bloody life." Anita glared up at the girl who stood over her. Her hair hung limply, with days of grime and oil built up. Her rosy cheek had a dark bruise marring it.  
A second girl jumped down from atop a large box. "Fairy, ya hear dat? We'se got da wrong girl. Avi's gonna kill us!! Dis ain't Gypsy. It's some British girl."  
Fairy turned to look at the other girl. "Shaddup, Fiona, dis is da right girl. She's jus' tryin' to make up believe dat so we don' kill her!"  
Fiona blinked and said, "Well, she's good--"  
"No, you're stupid." A small girl, Trick, walked in smoking a cigarette. "The kid's right, dat's Gypsy. Dat's Gypsy and' she killed Mello."  
Anita sighed. How many times had she gone over this? "I am not Gypsy, I didn't kill Mello, and I've only been in this bloody country for 2 years!"  
Fairy ignored Anita and got in Trick's face. "What'd ya call me?"  
"'Kid', dat a problem?"  
"Don't call me 'Kid'! You know I hate dat!" Fairy's face reddened when Trick laughed.  
"You're 11! You are a kid!." Trick turned her hands palm up. "You're da toughest kid I evah met, though."  
"An' don't you forget it!" Fairy turned to Anita and growled, "Giving a tomcat a bath is easier and less painful than a fight with me."  
The loft door slammed and a boy's voice called out, "Trick! Gimme your knife for a second!"  
Faster that the eye could keep track, Trick's hand flew to her waist, grabbed her knife and launched it toward the voice.  
"Woah!" THe boy jerked back asthe knife just barely missed his heart. "If you don't stop doin' that..." He grabbed the hilt of the knife and yanked it out of the wall it had become imbedded in. He walked back out of sight.   
"Breeze!" Trick whistled as she whipped her hat off. A bottle of beer came flying down and landed in her hat gently. "Alright..."  
Fiona played with her shoelaces and commented to Fairy, "I can't remember when dis became a habit. Trick lets Breeze use her knife, and--"  
"And Breeze brings her chugs. I know, neither can I." Fairy shrugged. "I wonder what he's using it for today."  
"I'm cutting Marble's hair!" Breeze hollered.  
"Yeah, sure you are!" Fiona yelled back. It was a joke anong them that Marbles would never cut her hair. She never had, and it nearly reached the floor. "He's got some good ears..."  
"Thanks." Breeze tromped down the rickety steps with his hands behind his back. He pulled forward his left hand and tossed Trick her knife. Then he brought out his right hand, which held a 4 1/2 foot long braid.   
Fairy screamed.  
Marbles jumped down from the loft. Her long brown hair had been unevenly chopped to chin length. "I figured that I should lose 10 pounds." Her eyes shifted to Anita. "For the fight."  
"Why-- why don't you just kill me now??" Anita exploded. "You all want to, that's quite obvious. It doesn't make any sense at all that you are waiting!"  
Breeze chuckled. "Y'see, Gypsy, we'se waitin for our head honcho, Avi, to get back from Delaware. Den we'll kill ya."  
Trick twirled her knife absentmindedly. "He should be back in the next week or so."  
Fiona jumped up. "I'se starved. Does anybody wanna go an' get some food?"  
They all got up and, after securing Anita's ropes and gag, walked out laughing and talking. They reminded her so much of the Manhattan newsies. They were so...human. Breeze was dashing and Fiona was silly. Why did they want to kill her? Anita squeezed her eyes shut. It wasn't worth trying anymore. 


	10. Planes of Contact

Martie waved the smoky air away from her face and tried to see. Ben T, Itey and GOosey looked around. THe pub was noisy and filled with people. Ben tapped Martie's shoulder and pointed.  
A petite girl sat on a bar stool with a heady mug in front of her. She looked like a Latina, with tan skin and short black hair. She was intently focused on a small book that she was scribbling in. Every now and then, the girl would take a drink and push back her hat. The old moth eaten green cap slowly slipped down over her eyes every time she looked down.  
Martie looked at her friends. "Think that's Hazard?"  
Goosey looked past her. "It is. I only seen her one time, but she's the type of person you remember for a long time."  
THe group hesitantly walked over. Hazard looked up. Her eyes were the same color as the whiskey that sat in front of her. She was small, but she held herself like a queen.   
"Yeah?" She looked at them quizzically. Her gaze lighted on T and something flickered behind her eyes.  
"Um," T stuttered, "Well, uh, we we need you. To help us find Anita. Uh, she, she just..."  
Ben jumped in. "Our friend Anita has disappeared. We think that she was kidnapped by the Kappers, 'cause they thought that she was someone else. ANd we were told that you could show us exactly where they are so we can get her out."  
Hazard gave a small laugh. "Well, ya came to the right place. I used to be a Kapper. I was there when Gypsy -- I assume dat's who dey t'ink she is -- murdered Mello."  
"Were you friends with Mello?"  
Hazard stared straight into T's eyes. The other newsies couldn't see, but they were communicating on a different plane, in a way that only they could. "She was my sister. I told their leader, the Avi, dat I was leavin'. I couldn't stay in dat kinda life, wit' dose memories. So one of the girls gave me a 'token' to remember them by." Hazard rolled up her right sleeve. A scar shone pale on her tan skin. "I know dey got the wrong girl, cuz I went and tracked Gypsy down in Kings, and killer her. I'll never forgive her, but I'll never forgive myself either."  
No one spoke for a moment, then Itey said, "So you'll help us?"  
Martie said, Please, Anita ain't my real sister, but she's as close as I got. And her brother would die if she never came back."  
Hazard looked at Martie, then spit in her palm. Martie did the same and they shook.  
Hazard fixed her hat again. "Ok, I'll take you to their place tomorrow, but youse gotta get some people together. THe Kappers ain't a big group,but they'se real tough. Bring people who ain't afraid to fight." 


End file.
